Inequity in Education Funding

Predominantly white school districts in the US get $23 billion a year more than districts that educate mostly non-white children, an education advocacy group says.

A report from EdBuild, which promotes equity in public schools, found that the average white school district got $13,908 for every student in 2016, compared to $11,682 per student in districts that mostly serve people of color.

The country has about 13,000 traditional public school systems, averaging 3,500 students each, the report says. The report defines “white” or “non-white” districts as “racially concentrated” districts — attended by more than half of US students — in which the population is either three-quarters white or three-quarters non-white. The report says 27% of students are in mostly non-white districts and 26% are in mostly white.

The money gap — a difference of roughly $2,226 per student — originates in the way Americans pay for education, with locally run schools being tied to local control of taxes.

The biggest funding gap between the districts was in Arizona, where students in non-white districts received an average of $7,613 less each.